Do ye judge of things by the outward appearance? if any man is confident in himself, that he is Christ's, let him from himself conclude too, that as he is Christ's, even so are we.

Abraham's

so hence ye know, that it is they who believe who are the children of Abraham.

for it is there written, Abraham had two sons, the one by a bond-maid, the other by a free-woman.

and the father of the circumcised, that is of those who are not barely circumcised, but who imitate that faith which our father Abraham had, being yet uncircumcised.

neither are they who are the race of Abraham, all children: but 'tis said, "in Isaac shall thy posterity be called."

of whom it was said, "only the descendants of Isaac shall be counted your posterity:"

Heirs

so that thou art no longer a bond servant, but a son: and if a son, then an heir of God thro' Christ.

Besides, the promise that he should possess the world, was not made to Abraham, or to his posterity in consideration of the law, but with regard to the righteousness by faith.

and if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; although we now suffer with him, that we may also be glorified with him.

whether Paul or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come;

"that the Gentiles should be heirs as well as the Jews, make one body together, and partake of the divine promise in Christ by the gospel."

that being justified by his favour, we should have the inheritance of eternal life, according to our hopes.

are not all those spirits dispatch'd as ministers to take care of those who shall belong to the christian church.

wherefore God was willing to give the heirs of promise a stronger proof of the immutability of his counsel, by the intervention of an oath:

'Twas by faith that Noah being divinely warned of unforeseen events, with a religious concern built an ark to the preservation of his family; whereby the world became inexcusable, and he obtained the reward of that righteousness which is by faith.

consider, my dear brethren, has not God chose the poor of this world to be rich by faith, and to inherit the kingdom he has promised to those who love him?

he that overcomes, shall inherit these things: I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

General references

is God the God of the Jews only, and not of the Gentiles? surely he is of the Gentiles too;

so that it is they who believe, who are blessed with Abraham, who did believe.

Now we, my brethren, as Isaac was, are the children of the promise.